Friday, May 13, 2011

Itropa Module: Zombie Cyborgs From Outer Space

This module takes place in my sci-fi setting, Itropa. We played the first half of this module on 2/27/2011. I originally wrote the module itself for one of my Praktas sessions, but never got around to running it. It was going to be called "The Sunken Temple of Pelor", and involved searching for rare book to break a young girl's curse. But when I decided I'd rather run a sci-fi session, I broke the story apart and put it back together again. These are my original notes from when I was writing up the session, in case someone wants to run something similar. The stuff in parentheses is stuff the players might say or do. The pictures are not from actual gameplay; they're shots I took during a practice run-through to test all the props.

Where it says a monster is "based on" another monster, that's just the monster where I got the starting stats. With some, I added/changed a few powers to fit the flavor better, but I tried not to adjust their difficulty. For example, the Cryobots are pretty much exactly Blazing Skeletons, but with fire changed to cold. But I had to make a lot of changes to the Sahuagin Raiders to turn them into Flying Sharks, such as taking away their ranged attacks, increasing their swim speed, adding a fly speed, and adding a couple of powers from the Flesheater Shark.

It's up to you whether your characters already knew each other or just met for this job. It's up to you whether you're poor citizens of Trasa or just passing through or whatever. In any event, you are currently in the town of Trasa, and you're looking for a way to make some money.

Scattered throughout town are computer terminals hooked up to the JobNet BBS, which those who can read check daily for work opportunities. One morning you wake to see the following post:

WANTED - BRAVE MERCENARIES FOR DANGEROUS MISSION.

MUST NOT BE SUPERSTITIOUS.

DEATH WISH A PLUS.

PAYS 7000 CREDITS PLUS EXPENSES.

APPLY IN PERSON AT 42 GILDED WAY (IN BACK).

It's the address that really catches your eye. You immediately recognize it as being on the wealthy side of town. Those people don't usually hire the poor. If they need labor, they buy a robot. If they need justice, they call the bounty hunter guild. You have no idea what this could be about, but the pay is the highest you've ever seen.

(take it) You print out a job ticket. In addition to the address, it has an appointment time printed on it. You need to be there in two hours.

(go there) You walk through Trasa's slums, heading towards the Eastside district. Eventually you reach the large wall that divides the posh side of town from the slums. You approach a massive gate, and a robot guard stops you to ask your business. You show them your job ticket, and they let you pass. Once you enter Eastside, the difference is like night and day. The streets are clean, none of the windows are broken, and not a single person pees on you. As you walk down the street, many well-dressed citizens keep their distance while giving you fearful looks.

You finally reach your destination. It is a house the size of a city block. You estimate that every person in Westside could comfortably sleep in there. But that would probably upset the owners.

(front or back) You see a button on the wall next to the door.

(ring/knock) A speaker next to the door beeps once, and "Welcome to the x estate. Please state your business." (players speak) (If front) "Please come to the back door." (back) "Please wait." A few seconds later, the back door opens, and a gold-plated robot leads you through the house. You are taken to a large study, with several comfortable chairs. The robot says, "The master will be with you shortly."

(look around room) It's very sparsely furnished, as if someone had recently moved in or was in the process of moving out. There are a lot of empty shelves along one wall. No pictures hang on the walls, and the floor is plain hardwood. The only furniture is a large desk and several chairs.

(examine bookshelf) The books are very old, which isn't surprising since few paper books are printed these days. There doesn't seem to be any common theme to the collection, or even the order in which they are arranged on the shelves. You imagine they are just there for show, and you doubt that the owner has read any of them.

(anything else you want to do while waiting?) After a few minutes, the master of the house enters the room. He's middle-aged, fit, with dark brown hair and fair skin. He is wearing an expensive robe, but it's wrinkled as if he's been wearing it for days. His hair is unkempt, and he looks like he hasn't slept in a while. He looks you over, then turns to his robot servant. "Caddersburg, please make sure they aren't wearing any listening devices." An antenna extends from the robot's head, and you hear a short whine.

"All clear, sir," the robot answers.

The man nods and turns back to his guests. He opens his mouth, pauses like he can't decide what to say, and finally says, "I'll cut right to the chase. It's my daughter. She's dying... from a computer virus."

(Explain) "I wasn't always rich. Ten years ago, I was barely breaking even each month. And then my infant daughter was in an accident that would have left her paralyzed from the waist down. It took every penny I had, but I got her the medical attention she needed. Several parts of her body had to be replaced with cybernetic attachments and implants, including a section of her spine. The cybernetic components are wirelessly linked to a computer chip in her brain. The problem is, I could only afford the cheapest parts at the time, some of which were refurbished from salvaged tech. Some of the components actually predate the War... and that's the problem. A few weeks ago a she started getting headaches, followed by memory loss. And now she's in a coma. The doctors were stumped at first, until we realized the chip in her brain had a computer virus. I've tried the best programmers I could find, but they can't fix it. It looks to be a heavily-encrypted military-grade virus, developed as a weapon during the War."

(What kind of accident?) "When they were first building the BotCo factory, there was an explosion. It got me too, see?" He pulls up his right sleeve, and you see a seam going across his arm, just below the elbow. The skin below the seam is a slightly different color than the skin above, and you notice he has no arm hair below the seam. (I thought you put all your money into your daughter's health, but that arm looks expensive) "At first I didn't even get an arm, and just lived with it. Later, once I was rich and my daughter was healthy, I indulged myself."

(Why can't you get a new chip?) "I actually have replaced some of the components of the spinal unit, a few times. But the chip in her brain can't be removed without killing her. She was so young when it was installed, that it's pretty much part of her brain now."

(Other info if needed) Rich guy's name is Thaddeus Tinsmythe, but his friends call him Tad. The daughter's name is Krianna. She is currently in her bedroom, being tended to by a doctor named Doctor Sylban. Krianna's mother, Lyranna, refuses to leave the daughter's side. Tad got rich by suing BotCo Industries when his daughter was injured, then later bought stock in the company. He's not very proud of the fact.

(If players try to negotiate for more money) "I can go up a little bit, but I have to be honest, my daughter is under some very expensive care right now. I've already sold off a lot of my possessions. I'm most likely going to lose the house before this is over. But I know you're not the only ones from Westside hurting for money. If you can't do the job for what I'm offering, I'll find someone else who can."

(What do you need us to do?) "I need you to find a datachip. North of town there is... supposedly... an old underground military bunker, from the War. We* believe this virus originated from that bunker, and hopefully there will be some sort of counter-program stored there. I need you to go there, break in, and find the source code for this virus."

(*Who is "we"?) "The programmers I hired to help my daughter."

(Why us?) He sighs. "It's in the Wilds, in a... legally ambiguous area. I've tried going through official channels, but that bunker is out of their jurisdiction. The mayor himself told me he doesn't have the power to authorize any activity there. I tried going through the Bounty Hunter guild, but they say they're not allowed to operate in that area for some reason. I sent a couple of mercenaries, but they never returned. I tried to send another mercenary, but he wouldn't do it because... (pause)... well, he believes the area is haunted. can you believe that? Haunted!"

(Haunted?) He rolls his eyes. "There's a graveyard near there, from the War. Some people believe the area is haunted by the spirits of dead soldiers. They even say they've seen the dead walking around. I HATE superstitous people. But superstition or not, there have been some unsolved deaths reported in the area." (I thought you said people weren't allowed in that area.) "Well, that's probably one of the reasons why."

(What dangers might we face?) "Well, you'll be going into the Wilds, which is a lawless area. There could be wild animals of some sort. The bunker itself might have a security system. I don't know what else."

(What are "The Wilds"?) Out of character: Anything that isn't in a city, or at least a within a city's property line, is often called The Wilds, to indicate they aren't bound by any laws.

(We'll take it.) "Wonderful. Now listen, there's no way to teleport to that area, because there's no Destination Point. However, it's not far from the Magnarail that runs from here to Alta. I have a transport that can take you to the general area, but it can't leave the Magnarail. From there, you'll have to walk. Take this GPS device, it will guide you the rest of the way. Once you are in the bunker, look for a room called 'Data Storage'. Here is the Virus ID, you can search the Data Archives for this number." He hands you a small card with a long number printed on it.

You are riding in a transport, which glides a few feet above a large magnetic rail. There's not a whole lot to the vehicle; it's basically a long rectangular shelf. It was designed to transport goods instead of people, so it's not a particularly comfortable ride, either. For the first hour or so, the Magnarail cut through a grass plain surrouned by farmland, but now you are riding through the forest. There's about 25 feet of clear grass on each side of the rail, after which you see nothing but thick trees on both sides.

(Who has the highest passive perception?) You start to notice something in the distance. As it gets closer, you realize it's another vehicle. (PC action?) It's some sort of large hoverbike. As it gets closer, the vehicle appears to be misshapen, as if it was assembled from the scrapped parts of various older vehicles. The large vehicles is flanked by two smaller hoverbikes. You can now make out details on the drivers. (General Knowledge check) They are wearing the armor of a the Inner Eye, which is an organization of criminals.

(Who has the highest passive perception?) You start to notice something in the distance. As it gets closer, you realize it's another vehicle. (PC action?) It's some sort of large hoverbike. As it gets closer, the vehicle appears to be misshapen, as if it was assembled from the scrapped parts of various older vehicles. The large vehicles is flanked by two smaller hoverbikes. You can now make out details on the drivers. (General Knowledge check) They are wearing the armor of a the Inner Eye, which is an organization of criminals.

(If they wish to stop the vehicle) That will be a minor action. There's a computer screen at the front of the vehicle, and the option to stop the vehicle is plainly visible. You select the option, and it begins to slow down. It will take another round to come to a complete stop. You notice, however, a flashing light on the screen. A warning pops up that says, "Obstruction detected ahead." (Look up) In the distance, but rapidly getting closer, you see something lying across the rail.

(Can I jump off the transport?) I wouldn't recommend it, but yes. You'll take some falling damage. Also keep in mind that all the vehicles are moving very fast, so the battle will quickly leave you behind.

(If they don't stop vehicle, speeders chase PCs for a few rounds, shooting at each other.) You hear the computer say, "Obstruction detected. Vehicle stopping." Ahead of the transport, you see something lying across the Magnarail. The transport begins to slow down. (One more round.) The transport finally comes to a stop. You see part of a huge tree lying across the rail, and more outlaws standing on each side. One of the bandits has a large pet rabbit.

(When a bandit is hit by a critical hit, player may choose to trigger one of his frag grenades.) You hit one of the frag grenades on his bandolier, which explodes. (In addition to player's max damage, does burst 1 explosion that all in burst, including wearer.)

(When small rider is hit.) He loses control of his bike, flies off into the trees, exploding in a shower of flaming wreckage. (#2) You hit him right in the chest, piercing his armor and killing him instantly. He falls off his bike, which flies off into the forest. You hear an explosion in the distance as it hits a tree.

(When small rider's bike is hit.) Your shot takes out his steering control, and he flies off into the trees. Ka-boom. (#2) Your shot hits his fuel tank, causing the bike to explode.

(When large rider is killed.) As an immediate reaction to reaching 0 hit points, he pushes a few buttons on the control panel before falling over dead. You barely hear the bike's onboard computer announce, "Self-Destruct Sequence Activated." Then it starts beeping. (Takes 1 full round. Next round:) The beeping sound gets faster and faster until it is just a long tone. Suddenly it explodes.

(If rabbit is killed but owner is still alive.) As an immediate reaction to the rabbit getting killed, his owner calls you a jerk and gives you an obscene gesture. He is basically "marked" by you until one of you dies, or until someone else marks him.

(If rabbit's owner is killed, on rabbit's next turn.) The rabbit was psychically linked with its owner, and therefore will not fight without its owner present. It bounds off into the woods.

(When down to last bandit, if battle was too easy.) The final bandit backs away a few steps. As a minor action, he pulls a large vial of silver liquid from his bandolier, and drops it to the ground. The liquid bubbles and expands, quickly forming into the shape of a humanoid. (If bandit is ranged, summoned creature is melee, and vice versa. See stats below under treasure.)

Treasure: Each bandit is wearing +1 light armor. One was using a +1 blaster with ammo (same stats as light crossbow w/ 99 bolts). You find 2 frag grenades (Burst 1 in 10, +6 vs Reflex, 1d6+4 Fire Damage). You also find 2 vials of silver liquid, each labeled "Liquid Metal Buddy". This is a one-time use item that summons a minion. It's a minor action to activate, and the Buddy appears in an adjacent square. The Buddy lasts until he is hit, or until the end of the encounter. Once summoned, you use your minor actions to issue orders to the Buddy (works similar to the Onyx Dog and other Figurines of Wondrous Power, see Adventurer's Vault page 180.)

﻿﻿ (If any hoverbikes still work, players may use them, but each is only made to seat one. Two could squeeze, but not safe. Plus going into forest, which is dangerous if you're not trained to ride these things.)

(Can I take his bike?)

Yes, but:
1. It only seats one person.
2. Science check to use it. If you fail, then you can't figure the controls. Someone else in the party might be able to teach you how to use it, but it will take a couple of hours.

Handout - Hoverbike

(Continue on) You push the tree off of the track, and the computer says, "Obstruction cleared. Please board the vehicle." As soon as you are all on the transport, it continues. About half an hour later, it stops again. "You have reached your destination." This area doesn't look any different than what you've been seeing for the last few hours. There is thick forest on both sides of the track. The GPS device directs you to enter the forest to the East.

In about 20 minutes you start seeing gravestones mixed in among the trees. The GPS instructs you to continue through the forest. (Go around?) It's not really an organized graveyard. It might have been at one time, but now it's hard to tell where the boundries of the area once were. You do your best to give it a wide berth, but as you get closer to the bunker, you find that there's simply no way to completely avoid the graveyard area. It surrounds the bunker. (Go through) The gravestones are very old, and the forest has grown so much that it now looks like the graves are just randomly placed around the forest. After another half hour of walking, you start to hear rustling noises in every direction. In the distance you see something moving between the trees. From the opposite direction you hear a low moaning. Then, inches away from your foot, you see the dirt move. Three graves away, a hand bursts through the dirt. Soon you find yourself surrounded by what you could only describe as... zombies!

(Place minions in circular pattern, allowing them to slowly close in on all sides. Describe them as you are placing them on the board) These eight just look like rotting dead people. They are dressed in soldier uniforms, or at least what's left of soldier uniforms. (Place the two Cyborg Zombies on opposite sides of the party.) These two are also zombies, but they have cybernetic implants. Whether they were actually cyborgs in life, or the implants were added after their death, you really couldn't say. (Place the General anywhere.) This one is dressed like a general. He also has some cybernetic parts.

(Zombies saw the party first, but are slow, so no suprise round for either. However, since the zombies didn't suddenly all pop out at once, some could start prone. Judge based on difficulty.)

(The first time a Cyborg Zombie explodes) You hit a vital cybernetic component, and it sends out a shower of sparks that hits everyone in the area.

(When Cyborg Zombie dies) You hit another vital component. The zombie explodes in a shower of metal shards and body parts.

(When General steals healing surge) He touches you, and one of his short-circuiting cybernetic components sends a jolt of electricity running through your body. You lose a healing surge.

(After battle, examine bodies) Most are dressed in soldier fatigues. Considering the War was so long years ago, you're a bit surprised that there's any clothing left. Or that there's still so much meat on their bones. In fact, a few of them look like they died within the past month. You find a keycard on one of the corpses. (Read keycard) "Private Eli Cranston. Security Clearance D."

(Continue?) You continue to follow the GPS. It leads you to something that, at first glance, appears to be an old overgrown stump, covered with vines and leaves. But you soon realize that this is just camoflage for a steel bunker. You find the door. (P. Perception) Unlike the rest of the bunker, the door isn't covered with vines. And you notice some footprints in front of the door. It looks like someone has been here recently. (open door) The door is locked. There is an electronic box next to the door. It has a keypad on it, and a keycard slot on one side. (Hacking or Engineering is DC20. Can be tried over and over until successful. Or if they search the graveyard, they might find a soldier's keycard.)

A light on the keypad flashes green, and there is a mechanical whirr as the door slides open. Tou see a long set of metal stairs decending into the darkness. Some light panels on the walls gradually flicker to life. The stairs appear to go on for a very long time. (Listen) There is no noise other than the low hum of the lights. (Descend) Your footsteps echo loudly on the metal stairs. It seems like it takes forever to get to the bottom, but you finally do. There is a short hallway, ending at a door. There is another keypad next to the door, but this one is already flashing green. As you approach, the door slides open automatically. There is another hallway, and in the distance you can see that it opens into a large main hall. You think you see some human-like figures on the upper level of the main hall. (Perception or move closer) You were wrong, they're not that humanlike. They appear to be robots.

The main hall is a large open room, with a central staircase leading up to a catwalk, which goes around three walls of the room. There are two other doorways on the lower level, and three on the upper level. There is a computer on one wall. On the upper catwalk, you see three robots walking around. They appear to be worker robots, the kind you might see in a factory. You see two large, very scary-looking robots on the lower level, standing at attention against the wall. You also see something mechanical standing behind two of the posts holding up the catwalk, but you can't get a good view. (Knowledge check, upper level robots.) Specifically they look like they were designed to function in freezing temperatures, like the type of robots you might see working in a cryo vault. (Knowledge check, large robots on lower level.) These are Battlebots, which have been designed for war. (Knowledge check, if they can see robots behind posts.) These are Hammerbots, which were designed for factory work.

(Enter the main hall) As you step into the room, all the robots turn to face you. Their eyes light up red, and they shout, "Intruder Alert!" Roll for initiative.

(If game is running long, players may attempt to use the computer to disable the robots, but it takes a high Hacking Check, and a separate check [full round each] for each robot type. If you want to adjust the length of the entire module, change the number of occupied rooms in the compound. The rest of the base could be empty except for the final encounter, or it could have security bots in every room.)

(Use computer) The screen displays an interactive map of the facility. You have the option of printing out a copy of the map to take with you. There are a few other options on the screen, but most of them require security clearance. (Hack or keycard) There's an option to disable the robots in the main hall. There's an option to unlock all doors in the facility, but only Clearance Level C and below. And there's various other minor options that don't really stand out. (Like what?) Just things like turning lights on and off, adjusting the temperature, communications, cryogenic life support, monitor brightness, screen saver, and so on. (Use communications) The communications screen loads up. A bar loads across the screen, then it just says, "Unable to connect to server. Working offline." You surmise that it was trying to connect to whatever communications hub they used during the war. (Use crygenic life support) It asks for higher level clearance than you have. (If they come back later with higher clearance.) Apparently, somewhere in the facility are some cryo tubes with people in them. From this computer you can turn those tubes on or off, or activate revitilization mode, or even adjust some of the other settings. (Turn off.) You turn the cryo tubes off. You might have just killed several people. (Do I get XP for that?) No.
﻿

(Check Map for Data Archives) You see the Data Archives Room on the map.

(Take North corridor to Security Checkpoint B) As you enter the hallway North of the Main Hall, you find the hallway has collapsed. All you can see is a wall of rubble; you can't tell how far back it extends. (Note: The collapse is centered just below the Stockade, see pic below.)

(Go to Weapons Storage) - There's not much left in here. You find a few guns, but they're basic issue - out of character that means no plusses, so they're probably not even as good as what you're already carrying. You do find a few assorted grenades, though. You also find a gun designed to fire sharks. However, it only has one round of ammo.

(Examine weapon) It's a long metal tube with a couple of buttons and a trigger. It seems simple enough to use. Inside is a small, crygenically-preserved amphibious flying shark. As the shark is launched from the chamber, it is also injected with a drug that instantly brings it fully awake, and fills it with rage for the first creature it sees. (When they use on a creature later) You pull the trigger, and a small angry shark bursts forth from the barrel. (If it hits) The shark's jaws latch tightly on to the foe. (Creature's next turn) The enemy takes 6 damage as the shark continues to gnaw on his arm. (Save ends) The enemy finally shakes off the shark. The shark hits a nearby wall, then recovers and flies out the nearest door, disappearing down the hallway.

(Go to Cryo Vault) - As you approach the door to cryo storage, you are overwhelmed by a powerful odor. You can go in if you want, but I think it's safe to say that the cryo compartments have failed. (Go in) As it turns out, this room was used to store both frozen foods and frozen soldiers. However, it looks like the machines shut down at least a few days ago, and now everything has expired. Give me a perception roll. (Low) You find a lot of rotten food, and a few dead people. All are partially decomposed. Most are still sealed, but a few of the seals have broken, creating that lovely smell you're enjoying. (High) They're faint, but you see some footprints. Some are bootprints, and others look like robots tracks. They're going back and forth from some of the empty cryotubes that probably once housed soldiers. You also see some odd lines that might indicate someone was dragging something. (If they look more closely at the empty cryo tubes.) Each of them has small card stuck to it, with the name of the person inside. The closest empty tube has the name "Doctor Ricter Jenson" on it. (If they ask for other names) Most of them have the of soldiers, like "Private Dade Marsall" or "Lt. Rone Pelson".
(If they check out Barracks, Training Room, Mess Hall, Showers, Restrooms, or other misc rooms, they find nothing of value. Put a few random treasures in the Storage rooms, like Stim Tabs or Frag Grenades.)

(Head to Security Checkpoint A.) As you enter the room, you hear the now-familiar whirr of robotics coming to life. You see a couple of security robots in the room. There's another hallway on the opposite end of the room, and something large comes running down the hall. (Examine Lazerbots) These look like actual security robots, and are the first bots you've seen that actually looked like they belonged where they were. (Examine Bladebot) This robot was designed for cutting and digging. (Examine Brutebot) What looks like a robot is actually a set of power armor, designed to be worn by soldiers in combat.

(After battle, explore exits.) There is a doorway to the north marked "Aqua Lab: High Security Area." There is a small hallway leading to the East, marked "Offices".

(Open up the Brutebot's Armor.) You find another zombie inside. .(Does the zombie attack?) It was badly smashed up in the battle, so it's no longer a threat to you. This one is a lot fresher than the soldier zombies you fought outside. This one is wearing a lab coat, and he could have just died yesterday for as little as he's decayed. (Then how do I know it was a zombie, and not just some guy?) Well, first off, you do see some signs that he's been dead at least a few hours - like bloating, rigormortis, and discoloration. Secondly, there's a burn wound to his chest, which you didn't make. He was probably shot to death with some sort of energy weapon. (Look for ID Badge/Card) It says his name is Doctor Rictor Jensen. (Note: If they've already checked out the cryo vault, it's the same name as one of the bodies missing from there

(Can I repair the Bladebot and have it tunnel through the collapsed tunnel?) You can, but it would probably take you several hours to repair it, and several days for it to tunnel through the hallways.

Encounter 5: Security Checkpoint (Puzzle)This puzzle has two possible solutions. If they discover the zombie body inside the Brutebot Battle Armor, they can use its eyeball on the retina scanner. They can also find a higher level keycard, and use it with a specific computer to add one of the PCs as a new personnel. If you want to make the module longer, then don't hide the solution to this puzzle in this room. Instead, put the scientist zombie (or a keycard, etc) somewhere in the West side of the complex, and add more encounters there.

(Open door to Aquatic Lab) There is a sign on the door which read, "Restricted Area. Security Clearance B or above required." There is a retina scanner on the wall next to this door.

(Use retina scanner.) "Record not found."

(Use a zombie soldier eye.) It's too far gone to get any data.

(Use the zombie scientist eye.) "Identity verified. Welcome, Doctor Jensen." The door opens. (This is optional; if you want to force the PCs to use the method below, you can make this eye too far gone as well.)

(Hack.) It is beyond your ability to hack this terminal. Plus, there's no keypad or anything to hack.

(Use keycard.) There is no keycard slot on this door.

(Use other computer.) This computer appears to contain data on personnel. Unfortunately, your keycard doesn't have the clearance required to use it.

(Search Right Hall) - This short hallway leads to four offices, probably used by high-ranked officers. Each room has a desk, some shelves, and some filing cabinets. There's a large shared bathroom at the end of the hall. (Search) In one of the desks, you find an ID Card. It looks like it once belonged to someone named "Director Aarik Olsan", and it has the letter "A" stamped on it.

(Use personnel computer with Olsan's keycard, or hack personnel computer.) The computer boots up. A welcome screen says, "Welcome, Director Olsan." A menu comes up with several options. From this screen you can review existing personnel, and add new personnel, edit existing personnel, delete personnel, and so on.

(Add new personnel.) It goes through a few screens asking you to input information about the new personnel. At one point it asks you to set their security clearance. Then it asks you to have the new personnel scan their retina. "Recording... Done. New personnel data saved."

(Log off and use retina scanner next to Data Archives door.) "Identity verified." The door opens.

You enter the Aquatic Lab. Half of the room is a large tank of water, the water's surface being level with the floor you're on. Ahead of you, there is a set of stairs leading up to a bridge, which leads to the room's other exit. However, the exit door is blocked by two Hammerbots.

(Hammerbots will hold their actions until PCs are on the bridge, and will then attempt to push them into the water using their Hammer Bash power. Once the PCs are on the bridge, or if PCs move to the edge of the water, or if PCs attack Hammerbots from a distance, the sharks enter the battle.) You see a couple of fins break the surface of the water. They move in rapid circles under the bridge (or near the edges of the water, if PCs are standing near there.) Suddenly a shark jumps out of the water... and stays there, hovering.

(The Flying Sharks are unable to fly as high as the bridge, but they can hover above the floor that's even with the tank. They can also hover up the stairs if they really want on the bridge, but for the most part they remain a hazard to the PCs who fall into the water, or those who choose not to climb the stairs.)

(After Battle, head to hallway before Bio Lab) You are in a small hallway. To the North is the Bio Lab. To the West there's another Security Checkpoint, and the Kennel is to the East. You hear some loud noises coming from the Kennel, but your map says you should go North.

(Go to Kennel) This room smells awful. This looks to be where they kept the animals they were using for lab experiments. Half of the room is lined with animal cages of multiple sizes. Most are empty, but a few hold the skeletal remains of various animals. The other half of the room holds a single container - a huge metal box, big enough to hold an elephant and then some. There are a few air holes here and there, and small feeding slot in the door, but otherwise the box looks sturdy and solid. From inside, you hear a deep growling, followed by a loud scratching sound on the door. The entire box shakes as something heavy thumps against the door. (Try to look in the airholes) It's too dark to see anything. (Put a light through one of the holes.) You can't get a good view of whatever is in there. You see some blue fur, and what looks like shiny metal. (Try other angles) You shine the light through a different hole. The creature turns toward you, and for a second it looks straight at you. It's green eyes glow in the light, the slitted pupils glaring at you angrily. Before you can get a really good look, the creature shimmers, then vanishes. You can still hear it growling and moving around in the box, but you can no longer see it. Occasionally you see a strange warping of the the light, but nothing more. (Nature check to identify the glimpses or the growls) You get the impression that it is some sort of jungle cat, but it's much larger than you would expect.

(Note, this creature is meant as an optional extra boss, if the session ends early and you need one more encounter. The DM may not wish the PCs to release the creature at this time. If so, when they try to open the door to the box) It has an alphanumeric keypad lock, requiring a 10-digit code. It would take a long time for you to try all the combinations. (How strong does the box look?) The box and its door are made of thick virtrinium steel, which is some of the toughest stuff on the planet. (If they try to blow the door open) There's a loud boom and a lot of smoke. The creature inside the box hisses angrily. When the smoke clears, you see that the box is still standing, the door is still firmly locked, but the keypad is no longer functional.

(If the DM decides to allow the PCs to successfully open the door) Suddenly the door bursts open, and you hear the invisible creature jumps out of the cage. You see the air shimmer as it darts past you, squeezing through the kennel doorway and pouncing down the South hall towards the Aquatic Lab. (If they try to shoot the creature through the air holes) This makes the creature very angry. There are several loud thumps at the door, each louder than the last. Suddenly the door bursts open, and the creature jumps out of the darkness. You see the air shimmer as it darts past you, squeezing through the kennel doorway and pouncing down the South hall towards the Aquatic Lab.

(If the PCs insist on chasing the cat through the compound, have them find some footprints here and there. Easy nature check reveals it to be large catlike prints. If the PCs go through the Aquatic Lab, the will find that one of the sharks they killed earlier has been partially eaten. They might chase the cat's footprints all throughout the complex only to find the cat has already found a way to escape to the woods. Or you might decide to start Encounter 8 early.)

The door opens, and you see a small hallway. On the other side is the biolab. As the door opens, you see that the light is already on. You see two other exits from the room, doors marked Data Archives and Emergency Escape Tunnel. Along two of the walls you see some large glass tubes filled with bubbling green liquid. Three of them have some sort of humanoid inside, one of which is extremely large. There are two tables in the middle of the room, and there is a zombie soldier lying on each one. In front of one of the tables stands a person, his back to you. He was using some sort of medical instrument on one of the zombies, but he starts to turn around when he hears the door open. He is short, and wearing a some sort of jumpsuit. As he turns toward you, you see that he has greyish-purple skin and large round eyes. You've never seen anyone of his race before, or anything that looks like him on this planet.

"Who are you?" he asks, in an otherworldly accent.

(Players get him talking.) "I am Doctor ViTalus. I was the only survivor when my ship crashed on this miserable planet. But using nanotechnology to regenerate dead tissue, I'm creating an undead army which will conquer... Wait a minute, why am I telling you this?" He gestures to his zombie soldiers. "Kill them," he orders. The zombies on the tables start to rise. The glass tubes open up, their liquids spilling out and revealing more zombies. From one of the tubes steps a giant humanoid creature, who appears to be stitched together from many dead bodies.

If players offer deal for the information, reply, "Negative! I claim all the data stored at this site! And I leave no witnesses alive!"

(After battle, explore Data Archives) You check the room marked Data Archives. There are shelves on every wall, and more shelves in the center of the room. Each shelf is filled with clear plastic clamshell sleeves that contain computer chips, discs, and other types of storage media. Each storage sleeve has a catalog number printed on the spine. Using the Virus ID number you were given, you easily find the datachip you need.

(If the Cybertooth Tiger escaped down the hall earlier, and the PCs want to hunt it down, they can't find it anywhere in the compound. With a Nature check, they might be able to track the animal far enough to find it has left the compound using the original entrance. Any closed doors are now busted open.)

(Take Escape Tunnel) You find a long vertical tunnel, with metal rungs. When you grab the first rung, the entire set of rungs starts quickly moving upward on a track. All you have to do is hold on. A hatch opens up as you get close. You climb out of the hole, and find yourselves in a small cave. Once all of you have exited the Escape Tunnel, the hatch seals behind you, blending in to the rock perfectly.
(Take original stairs) You walk back through the compound, and take the long flight of stairs back up to the surface. You're relieved to finally see daylight again.

As you begin to walk away from the bunker, you hear a rumble behind you. You turn around to see the Zombie Hulk from the Bio Lab, climbing out of the ground. His wounds have partially healed, and he appears to have mutated even further. He's now much bigger and stronger looking. He is about to charge when you hear a growl from behind the zombie. The air shimmers for a second, and a giant blue cyborg cat gradually appears. Before the zombie can react, the cat bites it in half, chewing the undead monster hungrily.

(If there's time for a final encounter) The cat then turns to you, roars, and prepares to pounce. Roll initiative.

(If you'd rather just finish the module) The cat gives you a warning glare, as if to say "hands off my dinner." It then picks up the rest of the zombie in its mouth, and runs off into the forest.

Conclusion

The walk back to the Magnarail is uneventful. You find your transport right where you left it, and take it back to town. The cure works - using the datachip you found, the doctors are easily able to save the little girl's life. Your employer is so grateful that he gives you an additional 1000 credits on top of what he had promised you before.

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1958Fury's Campaign Journals

Welcome to my campaign journals! This blog records the events of RPG sessions I have attended as a player or a DM. It's also where I post my thoughts about D&D and other RPGs in general.

Navigating this blog: If you just want to read my gameplay recaps, click the "Game Sessions" tag. If you just want to read my whackjob opinions, click "Metapost". More specific tags are listed a bit further down.

I also have two non-gaming blogs if you're interested. For light and fluffy ramblings about movies, books, video games, and other entertainment, go here:1958Fury's Entertainment Blog

Previous Party Members (Dead):Ashira (Jesse): Dragonborn Battlemind - Death by GhastKrusk (Rick): Half-Orc Monk - Killed by GhoulsRazz of the Three Moons (Jesse): Githzerai Swordmage - Gnawed to death by Gnolls